Over 1,000 college students presenting 550 projects will compete for greater than 200 prizes, with one particular person or crew named Stripe Young Scientist and Technologist of the yr
The 2026 Stripe Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (YSTE) is kicking off on Wednesday, January 7, with 550 pupil projects, chosen from 1,974 entries, set to go on show in the RDS Dublin.
Among the over 500 projects, five projects created by Kilkenny college students are set to compete throughout the five classes of expertise, organic and ecological sciences; social and behavioural sciences; chemical, bodily and mathematical sciences; and well being and wellbeing.
A judging panel of specialists from the science, expertise and enterprise sectors will choose over 200 prize winners, together with the general winner, who will take residence €7,500 in prize cash and can characterize Ireland in the EU Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS).
The five Kilkenny projects competing at the 2026 Stripe Young Scientist and Technology event:
The 2026 entries spotlight the points that matter most to younger individuals right this moment, with college students using slicing‑edge scientific strategies and expertise to deal with real-world issues.
Nearly 1 / 4 of projects (24pc) use or look at AI, overlaying all the pieces from the way forward for training and work, to predicting crop well being and the properties of darkish matter.
Environment and climate-related projects make up 22pc of these on show, overlaying local weather motion, biodiversity, and renewable power. These embrace investigations of local weather motion, photo voltaic panels, extra environmentally-friendly varieties of plastic, biofuels created from algae or spoiled milk, and new methods to reuse power from knowledge centres, busy roads, or just opening the door.
Health additionally stays a key focus for college kids, with projects exploring illness detection and modelling, new remedies for most cancers and diabetes, well being tech, and psychological well-being.
“We’re thrilled to kick off the 2026 Stripe Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition, Stripe’s first as title sponsor,” mentioned Eileen O’Mara, chief income officer at Stripe.
“The students are putting the final touches on an incredible array of projects, from AI-powered medical diagnosis to new types of energy.
“This competition is an important launchpad for every student that takes part, and a real accelerator for Irish science and technology. It’s been 21 years since our cofounders Patrick and John Collison took part, and we couldn’t be more excited to help shape this national treasure for the next generation.”
The 2026 Stripe YSTE is open to the public from Thursday, January 8 to Saturday, January 10, with a restricted variety of tickets nonetheless out there on the Stripe Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition web site.
Over 200 awards, together with the Stripe Young Scientist & Technologist of the Year award, can be introduced on Friday, January 9.